Introduction to Covenant Eschatology

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Introduction to Covenant Eschatology
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Introduction to Covenant Eschatology
The Generation Promise - The Generation
Objection
Time Statements
Salvation a Reality
The Olivet Fulfillment
Timeline of Events
The Gospel Preached
Other Signs - Interpreting Scripture
- Sun, Moon Stars
- Heaven Earth
- Did the Law Pass Away?
- The Tribulation - Armageddon
- Antichrists - The Last Days

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The Generation Promise
Matthew 2434, "Truly I say to you, this
generation will not pass away until all these
things take place.
All these things include Earthquakes
The Gospel Preached Famines
Abomination of Desolation
Tribulation Destruction of
the Temple False Prophets
False Christs Wars
Objection 1 Certainly these events have not yet
occurred, thus Jesus has yet to return. This
generation must refer to something other than
whom Jesus was speaking to.
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The Generation Promise
THE GENERATION OBJECTION
Generation means race.
Generation means nation.
Thayers Greek English Lexicon of the NT genea
The whole multitude of men living at
the same time
If the authors wanted to portray the word
generation with a more ethnic flavor they could
have used the word genos
Galatians 114, and I was advancing in Judaism
beyond many of my contemporaries among my
countrymen(genos).
Acts 719, 1728 Philemon 35 1 Peter 29
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The Generation Promise
David Chilton Some have sought to get around
the force of this text by saying that the word
generation here really means race, and that Jesus
was simply saying that the Jewish race would not
die out until all these things took place. Is
that true? I challenge you Get out your
concordance and look up every New Testament
occurrence of the word generation and see if it
ever means race in any other context
Matthew 117 1116 1239, 41, 42, 45 164
1717 2336 2434Mark 812, 38 919
1330Luke 148, 50 731 941 1129, 30, 31,
32, 50, 51 188 1725, 2132
Not one of these references is speaking of the
entire Jewish race over thousands of years all
use the word in its normal sense of the sum total
of those living at the same time.
Conclusion Generation in Matthew 24 does not
mean race or nation.
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The Generation Promise
THE GENERATION OBJECTION
This Generation refers to the generation that
would witness these events.
Thus changing the scriptures to read something
like
Truly I say to you, the generation that sees
these things take place will not pass away until
all these things take place.
This interpretation
- is needlessly redundant
- adds things to the Word of God which are not
there
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The Generation Promise
Related Passage
Matthew 1628, Truly I say to you, there are
some of those who are standing here who will not
taste death until they see the Son of Man coming
in His kingdom.
Question Are any of the disciples whom Jesus was
speaking to alive today?
Conclusion Jesus arrived in His Kingdom while
some of the disciples were still living.
False Conclusion Jesus broke His promise.
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The Olivet Fulfillment
For the sake of our study, lets assume that
This Generation refers to the generation that
would witness these events.
The generation of the disciples did indeed
experience and witness the signs Jesus proclaimed.
Many Christians are unaware of the historical
fulfillments concerning the Temple, Jerusalem and
surrounding events in the first century.
Lets follow Matthew 24 verse by verse and
compare the Lords eschatological predictions
with documented, historical fulfillments.
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The Olivet Fulfillment
Verse 2 Truly I say to you, not one stone here
will be left upon another, which will not be torn
down.Josephus The Wars of the Jews Book 6
Chapter 5 Section 2And now the Romans, judging
that it was in vain to spare what was round about
the holy house, burnt all those places, as also
the remains of the cloisters and the gates, two
excepted the one on the east side, and the other
on the south both which, however, they burnt
afterward. Josephus The Wars of the Jews
Book 7 Chapter 1 Section 1Now, as soon as the
army had no more people to slay or to plunder...
Caesar gave orders that they should now demolish
the entire city and temple.
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The Olivet Fulfillment
Verse 6 "You will be hearing of wars and rumors
of wars. See that you are not frightened, for
those things must take place, but that is not yet
the end. Reference Luke 2121 But when you
see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then
recognize that her desolation is near.Origen
(AD 225) Against Celsius Book 2 Chapter 13
Now in these it is recorded, that when ye shall
see Jerusalem compassed about with armies, then
shall ye know that the desolation thereof is
nigh. But at that time there were no armies
around Jerusalem, encompassing and enclosing and
besieging it for the siege began in the reign of
Nero, and lasted till the government of
Vespasian, whose son Titus destroyed Jerusalem.
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The Olivet Fulfillment
Verse 7 "For nation will rise against nation,
and kingdom against kingdom, and in various
places there will be famines and earthquakes.
Josephus The Wars of the Jews Book 6 Chapter
3 Section 3Moreover, their hunger was so
intolerable, that it obliged them to chew
everything, while they gathered such things as
the most sordid animals would not touch, and
endured to eat them nor did they at length
abstain from girdles and shoes and the very
leather which belonged to their shields they
pulled off and gnawed.
Josephus The Wars of the Jews Book 6 Chapter
3 Section 4So those that were thus distressed
by the famine were very desirous to die and
those already dead were esteemed happy, because
they had not live long enough either to hear or
see such miseries.
Acts 1127-28 - And in those days prophets came
from Jerusalem to Antioch. Then one of them,
named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit
that there was going to be a great famine
throughout all the world, which also happened in
the days of Claudius Caesar.
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The Olivet Fulfillment
Verse 7 (cont) "For nation will rise against
nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in
various places there will be famines and
earthquakes.
Acts 1626 - Suddenly there was a great
earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison
were shaken and immediately all the doors were
opened and everyone's chains were loosed.
Tacitus, The Annals, 1243Several prodigies
occurred in that year. Birds of evil omen perched
on the Capitol houses were thrown down by
frequent shocks of earthquake, and as the panic
spread, all the weak were trodden down in the
hurry and confusion of the crowd.
Tacitus, The Annals, 1258Apamea, too, which
had been shaken by an earthquake, had its tribute
remitted for five years.
Tacitus, The Annals, 1427One of the famous
cities of Asia, Laodicea, was that same year
overthrown by an earthquake.
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The Olivet Fulfillment
Verse 7 (cont)
Seneca, Epistulae Morales (65AD)How often have
cities in Asia, how often in Achaia, been laid
low by a single shock of earthquake! How many
towns in Syria, how many in Macedonia, have been
swallowed up! How often has this kind of
devastation laid Cyprus in ruins! How often has
Paphos collapsed! Not infrequently are tidings
brought to us of the utter destruction of entire
cities.
History also records earthquakes arising in Rome,
Apamea, Hieropolis, and Colossae between 60-67AD.
Commentary on Philostratos, The Life of
Apollonius of Tyana IV.34 The earthquake
mentioned by Philostratus as affecting the site
of Lebena in his account of the life of
Apollonius of Tyana has been variously dated
within the course of the I cent. A.D. In recent
times the most popular hypotheses set the the
available sources, that the visit of Apollonius
to the Asclepieion of Lebena, and the subsequent
earthquake, are to be dated to 66 A.D.
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The Olivet Fulfillment
Verse 10 At that time many will fall away and
will betray one another and hate one
another.Josephus The Wars of the Jews Book
6 Chapter 3 Section 3Now of those that
perished by famine in the city, the number was
prodigious, and the miseries they underwent were
unspeakable for if so much as the shadow of any
kind of food did anywhere appear, a war was
commenced presently and the dearest friends fell
a-fighting one with another about it, snatching
from each other the most miserable supports of
life.
Verse 11 Many false prophets will arise and
will mislead many.1 John 41 - Beloved, do not
believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see
whether they are from God, because many false
prophets have gone out into the world. Josephus
The Wars of the Jews Book 6 Chapter 5
Section 2A false prophet was the occasion of
these people's destruction, who had made a public
proclamation in the city that very day, that God
commanded them to get upon the temple, and that
there they should receive miraculous signs of
their deliverance.
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The Olivet Fulfillment
Verse 14 This gospel of the kingdom shall be
preached in the whole world as a testimony to all
the nations, and then the end will come.Romans
1625-26 - Now to Him who is able to establish
you according to my gospel and the preaching of
Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the
mystery which has been kept secret for long ages
past, but now is manifested, and by the
Scriptures of the prophets, according to the
commandment of the eternal God, has been made
known to all the nations, leading to obedience of
faith.
Verse 15 Therefore when you see the Abomination
of Desolation which was spoken of through Daniel
the prophet, standing in the holy place let the
reader understand). Josephus The Wars of the
Jews Book 6 Chapter 6 Section 1And now the
Romans, upon the flight of the seditious into the
city, and upon the burning of the holy house
itself, and of all the buildings round about it,
brought their ensigns to the temple and set them
over against its eastern gate and there did they
offer sacrifices to them, and there did they make
Titus imperator with the greatest acclamations of
joy.
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The Olivet Fulfillment
Verse 15 (cont)Chrysostom (AD 347) Homilies
on Matthew Homily 74 Section 3Was their
house left desolate? Did all the vengeance come
upon (that generation)? It is quite plain that it
was so, and no man gainsays it.Clement of
Alexandria (AD 160)"We have still to add to our
chronology the following, -- I mean the days
which Daniel indicates from the desolation of
Jerusalem, the seven years and seven months of
the reign of Vespasian. For the two years are
added to the seventeen months and eighteen days
of Otho, and Galba, and Vitellius and the result
is three years and six months, which is "the half
of the week," as Daniel the prophet said. For he
said that there were two thousand three hundred
days from the time that the abomination of Nero
stood in the holy city, till its destruction.
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The Olivet Fulfillment
Verse 16 then those who are in Judea must flee
to the mountains.Eusebius (AD 263) Church
History Book 3 Chapter 4 vs 9But the people
of the church in Jerusalem had been commanded by
a revelation, vouchsafed to approved men there
before the war, to leave the city and to dwell in
a certain town of Perea called Pella..
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The Olivet Fulfillment
Verse 21 For then there will be a great
tribulation, such as has not occurred since the
beginning of the world until now, nor ever
will.Eusebius (AD 263) Church History Book
3 Chapter 7 vs 9"It is fitting to add to these
accounts the true prediction of our Savior in
which he foretold these very events. The
historian (Josephus), reckoning the whole number
of the slain, says that eleven hundred thousand
(1.1 million) persons perished by famine and
sword, and that the rest of the rioters and
robbers, being betrayed by each other after the
taking of the city, were slain. But the tallest
of the youths and those that were distinguished
for beauty were preserved for the triumph. Of the
rest of the multitude, those that were over
seventeen years of age were sent as prisoners to
labor in the works of Egypt, while still more
were scattered through the provinces to meet
their death in the theaters by the sword and by
beasts. Those under seventeen years of age were
carried away to be sold as slaves, and of these
alone the number reached ninety thousand. These
things took place in this manner in the second
year of the reign of Vespasian, in accordance
with the prophecies of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, who by divine power saw them beforehand
as if they were already present
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The Olivet Fulfillment
The First Century was a significant time of
tribulation as God dismantled the imperfect
covenant He had with mankind. Many signs and
wonders accompanied the unveiling of His new,
faultless covenant. The Historical fulfillments
of such should raise some credibility and cause
the skeptics to at least entertain the
possibility that these events have already been
fulfilled.
Conclusion Jesuss prophecies concerning His
return were fulfilled within the first century.
Next, lets take a more specific look at one of
the predictions Jesus mentions in His Olivet
Discourse The Gospel Preached.
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The Gospel Preached
Objection 2 Its impossible that every single
person on this planet has heard the gospel!
Matthew 2414, This Gospel of the kingdom shall
be preached in the whole world as a testimony to
all nations, and then the end will come.
Mark 1614-18, Later Jesus appeared to the
Eleven as they were eating he rebuked them for
their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to
believe those who had seen him after he had
risen. He said to them, "Go into the entire world
and preach the good news to all creation.
The Gospel had to be preached to
- the whole world
- all nations
- all of creation
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The Gospel Preached
Colossians 16, All over the world this gospel
is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been
doing among you since the day you heard it and
understood God's grace in all its truth.
Romans 18, First, I thank my God through
Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith
is being reported all over the world.
Romans 1625-26, Now to Him who is able to
establish you according to my gospel and the
preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the
revelation of the mystery which has been kept
secret for long ages past, but now is manifested,
and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according
to the commandment of the eternal God, has been
made known to all the nations, leading to
obedience of faith
2 Timothy 46-17, For I am already being
offered, and the time of my departure is come. I
have fought the good fight, I have finished the
course, I have kept the faith ....But the Lord
stood by me, and strengthened me that through me
the message might be fully proclaimed, and that
all the Gentiles might hear.
Colossians 123, if you continue in your
faith, established and firm, not moved from the
hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel
that you heard and that has been proclaimed to
every creature under heaven, and of which I,
Paul, have become a servant.
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The Gospel Preached
WAS PAUL WRONG?
The Pauline scriptures are pretty clear that
fulfillment of the words of Jesus came to pass in
the first century.
Conclusion Jesuss prophecies concerning the
gospel being preached to the nations, whole world
and all of creation were fulfilled inside the
first century.
Next, lets transition into discussing the vivid
imagery found within Matthew 24 and how it ties
together with a first century return of Christ.
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Other Signs
SUN, MOON STARS
Matthew 2414, But immediately after the
tribulation of those days the sun will be
darkened and the moon will not give its light and
the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers
of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign
of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and
then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and
they will see the son of man coming on the clouds
of the sky with power and great glory.
Objection 3 These events never were witnessed
and recorded!
Logically, if such physical events happen it
could only mean the imminent destruction of our
universe which is exactly what many believe
today! Rather, such poetic language is found
elsewhere in the Bible to symbolically describe
governing bodies.
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Other Signs
SUN, MOON STARS
Celestial bodies were often used to symbolize the
rulers (or leaders) of nations.
Genesis 379-10, Now he had still another
dream, and related it to his brothers, and said,
Lo, I have had still another dream and behold,
the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing
down to me. He related it to his father and to
his brothers and his father rebuked him and said
to him, What is this dream that you have had?
Shall I and your mother and your brothers
actually come to bow ourselves down before you to
the ground?
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Other Signs
SUN, MOON STARS
Isaiah 131-17, The burden against Babylon
which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw.. The noise of a
multitude in the mountains, like that of many
people! A tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of
nations gathered together! The Lord of hosts
musters the army for battle. Wail, for the day of
the Lord is at hand! It will come as destruction
from the Almighty. Therefore all hands will be
limp, every man's heart will melt, and they will
be afraid. Pangs and sorrows will take hold of
them they will be in pain as a woman in
childbirth they will be amazed at one another
their faces will be like flames. Behold, the day
of the LORD comes, cruel, with both wrath and
fierce anger, to lay the land desolate and He
will destroy its sinners from it. For the stars
of heaven and their constellations will not give
their light the sun will be darkened in its
going forth, and the moon will not cause its
light to shine. I will punish the world for its
evil, and the wicked for their iniquity I will
halt the arrogance of the proud, and will lay low
the haughtiness of the terrible. Behold, I will
stir up the Medes against them.
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Other Signs
SUN, MOON STARS
Obviously there was no literal falling of stars
in the days of Isaiah. He pictured the Babylonian
Emperor as the sun, the queen as the moon, the
military, political, business, and religious
leaders as the stars, and the might of the empire
as the powers of heaven. If you recall, the
Median empire conquered Babylon in 538BC.
So when Jesus uses these exact words, with the
order slightly changed, he is using Isaiah's
symbolic language to refer to the fall of
Jerusalem in the lifetime of His hearers.
Jerusalem (Israel) was going to be destroyed in
the same way as Babylon was six centuries before.
Conclusion Jesus was referring to the
destruction of Israel and its Old Covenant law.
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Other Signs
HEAVEN EARTH
Matthew 2435, Heaven and earth will pass
away, but My words will not pass away.
Much like the celestial bodies, heaven and earth
were also used symbolically to describe a
government-ship.
Isaiah 5115-16, I have put My words in your
mouth and have covered you with the shadow of My
hand, to establish the heavens, to found the
earth, and to say to Zion, 'You are My people.
Leviticus 2619, I will also break down your
pride of power I will also make your sky like
iron and your earth like bronze.
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Other Signs
HEAVEN EARTH
Deuteronomy 2919, 3124-28, These are the
words of the covenant which the Lord commanded
Moses to make with the sons of Israel in the land
of Moab, besides the covenant which He had made
with them at Horeb. And Moses summoned all Israel
and said to themIt came about, when Moses
finished writing the words of this law in a book
until they were complete that Moses commanded the
Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of
the LORD, saying, Take this book of the law and
place it beside the ark of the covenant of the
Lord your God, that it may remain there as a
witness against you. For I know your rebellion
and your stubbornness behold, while I am still
alive with you today, you have been rebellious
against the Lord how much more, then, after my
death? Assemble to me all the elders of your
tribes and your officers, that I may speak these
words in their hearing and call the heavens and
the earth to witness against them.
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Other Signs
HEAVEN EARTH
The term heavens and earth represent more than
just their physical manifestations.
The term heavens and earth describe the covenant
world which God created for Israel upon their
deliverance from Egypt governed by the law which
He had given to them.
Conclusion Jesus was referring to the
destruction of the Old Covenant law and its
constituent elements.
Next, lets take some time to discuss some of the
other signs associated with Jesuss return.
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Other Signs
THE TRIBULATION
History records the Christians of the first
century enduring horrendous tribulation.
- beheading
- disemboweled
- crucifixion
- burned
- stoning
- fed to animals
Revelation 19, I, John, your brother and
fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom
and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the
island called Patmos because of the word of God
and the testimony of Jesus.
Conclusion The Tribulation has already occurred.
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Other Signs
ARMAGEDDON
Revelation 1616, And they gathered them
together to the place which in Hebrew is called
Har-Magedon.
- Har-Magedon is a place, not an event
- Means mountain (or valley) of Megiddo
- Megiddo is a city located at the southern
entrance to the Jezreel valley along the
plain of Esdraelon.
- Megiddo overlooked the crossroads to the Via
Maris
- Megiddo and the underlying Jezreel valley were
the scene for over 100 battles throughout
history
- Plain of Esdraelon and the Megiddo outpost was
used by Roman forces in 67AD to gather and
reinforce their legions. (Josephus, Norman
Bentwich)
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Other Signs
ARMAGEDDON
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Other Signs
ARMAGEDDON
Conclusion The gathering of armies inside the
valley of Megiddo occurred in 67AD when the Roman
legions set out to attack Israel and her holy
city, Jerusalem.
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Other Signs
ANITCHRISTS
1 John 217-19, The world is passing away, and
also its lusts but the one who does the will of
God lives forever. Children, it is the last hour
and just as you heard that antichrist is coming,
even now many antichrists have appeared from
this we know that it is the last hour. They went
out from us, but they were not really of us for
if they had been of us, they would have remained
with us but they went out, so that it would be
shown that they all are not of us.
1 John 222 ("He is antichrist who denies...")1
John 43 ("this is the spirit of the
antichrist...")2 John 17 ("a deceiver and an
antichrist.")
Conclusion Antichrist/s was a 1st century
movement.
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Other Signs
THE LAST DAYS
Acts 214-16, But Peter, taking his stand with
the eleven, raised his voice and declared to
them Men of Judea and all you who live in
Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed
to my words. For these men are not drunk, as you
suppose, for it is only the third hour of the
day but this is what was spoken of through the
prophet Joel.
Joel 228-32, It will come about after this
that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind
And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your
old men will dream dreams, your young men will
see visions. Even on the male and female servants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days. I will
display wonders in the sky and on the earth,
Blood, fire and columns of smoke. The sun will be
turned into darkness and the moon into blood
before the great and awesome day of the Lord
comes. And it will come about that whoever calls
on the name of the Lord will be delivered.
Conclusion The disciples were living in the last
days.
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Other Signs
TIME STATEMENTS
There are over 100 time statements in the New
Testamentsupporting a soon-to-happen time of
events.
1. Matt. 32 2. Matt. 37 3. Matt. 310
4. Matt. 312 5. Matt. 417 6. Matt. 107
7. Matt. 1023 8. Matt. 1232 9. Matt.
1627 10. Matt. 1628 11. Matt. 2140-45
12. Matt. 2434 13. Matt. 2664 14. Mark
115 15. Mark 129,12 16. Mark 1330 17.
Luke 37 18. Luke 39 19. Luke 317 20.
Luke 109
21. Luke 1011 22. Luke 2015-19 23. Luke
2122 24. Luke 2132 25. Luke 2328-30 26.
Luke 2421 27. John 1418,20,22 28. John
2122 29. Acts 216-17 30. Acts 1731 31.
Acts 2415 32. Acts 2425 33. Rom. 423-24
34. Rom. 813 35. Rom. 818 36. Rom.
1311-12 37. Rom. 1620 38. I Cor. 729 39.
I Cor. 73140. I Cor. 1011
41. I Cor. 1551-52 42. I Cor. 1622 43. Eph.
121 44. Phil. 45 45. Col. 12346. Col.
216-17 47. I Thess. 415,1748. I Thess. 523
49. II Thess. 16-7 50. I Tim. 48 51. I
Tim. 614 52. I Tim. 619 53. II Tim. 31-9
54. II Tim. 4155. Heb. 11-2 56. Heb. 114
57. Heb. 25 58. Heb. 65 59. Heb. 67-8
60. Heb. 813
61. Heb. 98-10 62. Heb. 911 63. Heb. 926
64. Heb. 101 65. Heb. 1025 66. Heb. 1027
67. Heb. 1037 68. Heb. 1314 69. James 212
70. James 51,3 71. James 57 72. James
58 73. I Peter 16 74. I Peter 120 75. I
Peter 45 76. I Peter 47 77. I Peter 417
78. I Peter 51 79. II Peter 119 80. II
Peter 23
81. I Peter 33,5 82. II Peter 310-12 83. I
John 28 84. I John 217 85. I John 218
86. I John 218 87. I John 43 88. Jude
14,14-15 89. Jude 117-19 90. Rev. 11 91.
Rev. 13 92. Rev. 225 93. Rev. 310 94.
Rev. 311 95. Rev. 125 96. Rev. 1824
97. Rev. 226 98. Rev. 227 99. Rev. 2210
100.Rev. 2212101.Rev. 2220
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Other Signs
TIME STATEMENTS
Read over a few of the aforementioned passages
and take special note regarding the wording of
the time statements.
at hand
are coming
already the hour
is near
has come near
very very soon
maranatha
about to come
is passing away
these days
about to judge
ready to disappear
drawing near
these last times
In what language do any of these mean 2000
years from now ?
Conclusion The NT writers expected the events
surrounding Christs return to happen soon
within their generation.
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Other Signs
Again, there is sufficient evidence to cause most
skeptics to at least consider a first century
return of Jesus possible.
Our next topic will touch on a more sensitive
idea regarding our orthodox belief on Salvation.
Salvation Completed
Salvation can be a complicated word to interpret
and understand, but for the sake of our
discussion we will use its most commonly used
definition - eternal life.
Question Where do you go when you die?
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Salvation a Reality
The answer may surprise you.
Rev. 2011-15, Then I saw a great white throne
and him who was seated on it..Then death and
Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake
of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was
not found written in the book of life, he was
thrown into the lake of fire.
Here we see Hades being discarded after the Great
White Throne judgment. This can only mean that
Hades is still in use. Also, take note of the
distinction between Hades and the Lake of Fire
they are not the same thing! If the second coming
has yet to occur, then we must admit that we
still go to Hades when we die.
Objection 4 Because Salvation was completed at
the cross we can be assured that we will go to
Heaven when we die.
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Salvation a Reality
1 Peter 110, Of which salvation the prophets
have inquired and searched diligently, who
prophesied of the grace that should come unto
you.
1 Peter 15, Who are kept by the power of God
through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed
in the last time.
Romans 1311, And that, knowing the time, that
now it is high time to awake out of sleep for
now is our salvation nearer than when we
believed.
Hebrews 928, so Christ also, having been
offered once to bear the sins of many, will
appear a second time for salvation without
reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.
Conclusion Salvation was made complete at
Christs return.
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Salvation a Reality
Under the Futurist model we demonstrate that
currently we will not go to heaven to be with God
when we die. Salvation is made complete at
Jesuss return. Under the Futurist model Christ
is still in heaven with the Father preparing a
place for us.
And to think Preterists are often accused of
diminishing the Christian hope (of Jesuss
return).
Contrary to what you may hear, Covenant
Eschatology offers a fulfilled and final victory
to Gods corner. Much like the OT priests, Jesus
ascended to God and supplicated Him to accept the
proxy of His atonement so that man would now have
a place with God. Jesus quickly returned to show
us that God accepted the sacrifice, ushering in
the new covenant with His creation. All creation
is now free to have a relationship w/ God.
42
Timeline of Events
Sometimes it helps us to have a diagram to help
place events in respect to each other. The next
slide features the best representation I could
find of assembling eschatological events from a
Preterist perspective.
- I would also add the tribulation period
between 30-70AD- I would place the first
resurrection as occurring in 33-34 AD (Matthew
2752, Revelation 201-5)- I would note the
millennium period between 33/34 _at_70 AD
(Revelation 201-10)
Special thanks to John Noe for the use of this
diagram
43
Timeline of Events
44
Introduction to Covenant Eschatology
CONCLUSION
I hope this quick overview provided enough
material to get you, or somebody else, started in
their study of Covenant Eschatology. As you
will find out Preterism encompasses much more
than just end times events and will most likely
challenge the deeply held traditional beliefs we
grew up with.
Dont immediately believe everything you hear
(including this tutorial)! I highly encourage
you to study these things for yourself and arrive
at your own conclusions.